Ravel stop



April 2, 1929.

G. w. GOETSCH RAVEL STOP Filed Dec. 14. 1927 FIG.

ATTORNEYS.

' INVENTOR:

G rge W Cfoe is oh,

} Patented Apr; 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES- PATENT. OFFICE.

GEORGE W. GOETSCH, F ELKINS PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO QUAKEB AHOSIEBY COMPANY, 01' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A- CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

RAVEL STOP.

4 Application filed December 14, 1927. Serial No. 239,856. r

This invention relates to ravel stops for knitted fabrics or apparel,-for example ladies stockings-to prevent runs having their origin in thewelted garter tops from 5' continuing down into the leg portions. Suchravel stops have long been produced in stockings knit on flat knittingmachlnes through engaging each of the loops of the 1n1t 1al course ofthe fabric over several needles 1ncidentally to turning the welt, andust prearatory to commencement of the stocking lbg. W1th very finegauges such as now generally demanded in stockings, manipulation ofthewelt bars in displacing the fabric loops for the purpose explained isextremely tedious and exacting, and, in the event that any of the fabricloops are dropped, entails either discarding the entire fabricpreviously formed, or results in seconds which must be disposed of at aloss.

The chief aim of my invention 1s to oyercome the above recited drawbacksof previous practice through provision of a ravel stop which is initself unique, and which-1s very easil formed so that the necessity foremploying especially skilled and expenslve help 1s dispensed with. 0

One way in which the forego ng and other advantages may be readilyattained in practice will be apparent from the detailed descriptionwhich follows when taken in connection with the drawings whereof Fig. Ishows a welt top of a ladies stocking conveniently embodying the ravelstop of my invention.

Fig. II is a diagrammatic detail view showing a section through theupper part of the stocking.

Fi III is a fra mental-y illustration showing t e texture o the fabricwithin the dotted rectangular area A in Fig. I and as v ewed from theinside of the stocking.

Figs. IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX are diagrammatic views showingsuccessive steps in the formation of the ravel stop.

The stocking depicted in Fig. I of these 11- lustrations will beobserved as of the full fashioned variet such as are produced on flatknitting mac ines. Its garter top or welt W isjoined to the body or legportion L by the improved ravel stop which is conventionally representedat 10 in Figs. I and II. In carrying out my invention, I initially knita course 11 (Fig. IV on the needles N of the knitting machine an engagealternate sinker loops 11 of such course, as shown in Fig. V, with awelting bar 12 having half as many hooks 12' as there are needles in theknitting machine. The machine is then restarted (incidentally to whichthe uncaught sinker loops are drawn out as shown in VI as a consequenceof pull upon the bar 12), and a second course 13 knit as in Fig. VII,whereof I engage, with the welting bar hooks 12, alternate sinker loops13 in wales neighboring those initially caught in the first course, thelast described step being shown in Fig. VIII.

Thereupon I proceed with the knitting to.

produce a length of plain fabric for the welt.

In this connection it will be observed from Fig. IX that the doubledloops 11*, 13 on the welting bar hooks 12 equalize themselves and thatthe two courses first knit lose their identity as a consequence of beingmerged under pull of the welting bar. Upon completion of the fabric forthe welt, the latter is turned by transfer of the doubled loops 11*, 13*on the hooks 12 of the welting bar 12 to alternate needles of themachine, i. e. said loops are superimposed upon those then held by theneedles. Knitting is then resumed in the usual way to form the body ofthe stocking. The texture of the finished ravel stop is shown in Fig.III as it appears when viewed from the inside of the stockings, theinterlooping of the yarn being readil traced with the aid of thereference numera s which are the same as those employed for thecorresponding parts in the other figures.

By forming the ravel stop in the mannerdescribed, a very effectivebarrier is produced against the possibility of runs having their originin the welt from entering the body or leg of the stocking, since thecrossed loops 11*, 13 constituting the band 10 (Fi III) have their rootsin adjacent wales of t e welt and their heads anchored in adjacent waleloops of the fabric body. The ravel stop is moreover easily formed bythelknitter by virmost, only two the formation of the antiravel isdelayed until the welt is turned (as is ordinarily practiced in theart), the dropping of loops at that time necessitates discarding of theentire fabric of the welt or results in the production of an imperfectstocking.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of forming a ravel stop in welted knit fabrics by doublingalternate loops of one course with alternate neighboring Wale loops ofanother course preparatory to knitting the welt fabric, and subsequentlytransferring the doubled loops to the needles of the machine.

2. The method of forming ravel stops in welted knit fabrics whichcomprises initially producing a ravel stop band by doubling alternateloops of one course with alternate neighboring wale loops of anothercourse,

knitting the fabric for the welt, and uniting 1 the doubled loops of theravel stop band wit the last course knit before continuing with theformation of the main or body portion of the fabric.

3. The method of forming a ravel stop in welted knit fabrics whichcomprises knitting an initial course of loops, holding loops of thisfirst course while knitting a second course,

,doubling the held loops of the first course and loops of the secondcourse, knitting a length of fabric for the welt, and superposing theloops doubled as aforesaid upon the loops of the last course knit toclose the welt before proceeding with the knittingof the main or bodyportion of the fabric. 7

4. The method of forming a ravel stop in welted fabrics by knitting aninitial course of loops, holding loops of this first course whileknitting a second course, doubling the held loops of the first coursewith neighboring Wale loops of the second course, knitting a length offabric for the welt, and superposing the loops doubled as aforesaid uponthe loops of the course last knit to close the welt before proceedingwith the formation of the main or body portion of the fabric.

5. The methodof producing a ravel stop in welted fabrics by knitting aninitial course of loops, holding alternate loops while knit ting asecond course, doubling the held loops of the first course withalternate neighboring wale loops of the second course, knitting a lengthof fabric for the welt, and uniting the loops doubled as aforesaid withalternate loops of the last course knit to close the Welt beforeproceeding with the formation of the main orbody portion of the fabric.

6. The method of forming a ravel stop in welted fabrics on fiat knittingmachines which comprises knitting an initial course of loops on theneedles of the machine, engaging loops of this first course on the hooksof a welting bar, knitting a second course on the needles, engagingloops'of such second course with the engaged loops of the first courseon the welting bar hooks, knitting a length of fabric for the welt, andturning the welt by transferring the doubled loops on the welting barhooks to the needles of the machine before continuing with the formationof the main or body portion of the fabric.

7. The method of forming a ravel stop in welted fabrics on flat knittingmachlnes which comprises knitting an initial course of loops on theneedles of the machine, engaging loops of this first course on the hooksof a welting bar, knitting the second course on the needles, engagingthe loops of such second course in wales neighboring those occupied bythe engaged loops of the first course on the welting bar hooks, knittinga length of fabric for the welt, and turning the welt by transferringthe doubled loops on the welting bar hooks to the needles of the machinebefore continuing with the formation of the main or body portion of thefabric.

8. The method of forming a ravel stop in welted fabrics on flat knittingmachines which comprises knitting an initial course of loops on theneedles of the machine, engaging alternate loops of such course on thehooks of a welting bar, knitting a second course on the needles,engaging the loops of 'such second course in wales neighboring on thewelt bar hooks to the needles of the machine before continuin with theformation of the main or body portion of the fabric.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsyl- Vania, this ninth'day of December, 1927.

GEORGE W. GOETSCH.

